Automatic fuel control



Nov. 16, 1943. I 1. v. BRUMBAUGH ETAL 2,334,603

AUTOMATIC FUEL CONTROL- Filed Nov. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r in; 01.71

Nov. 16, 1943. 1. v. BRUMBAUGH ETAL AUTOMATIC FUEL CONTROL Filed Nov.18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 16, 1943 AUTOMATIC FUEL coN'rnoLIsaac V. Brumbaugh, Lester S. Kauifman, and Harold C. Reinhart, St.Louis, Mo., assignors to American Stove Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1939, Serial No.305,200-

Claims.

The present invention pertains to a safety fuel control valve incombination with an automatic ignition means for a gaseous fuel burnerand pertains even more particularly and specifically to an automaticignition means for the oven or broiler burner of 'a gas cooking range.

In respect to automatic lighters or automatic ignition installations forcooking range burners, and especially burners used for broiling, it hasbeen found that the flame of the broiler burner interferes with theflame of that burner of the ignition means that is used to heat thethermal member of the ignition means and that this interference maycause the valve of 'the safety fuel control to throttle, and, in extremecases, to close. Such interference is therefore highly undesirable inthat it interferes with the proper operation of the range in thatthrottling or closing of the safety fuel control valve either reduces orentirely cuts off the flow of gas to the oven broiler burner at a timenot intended or desired.

Therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention is that ofproviding an automatic lighter or ignition means, including a safetyfuel control valve, for oven and broiler burners which overcomes anypossibility of poor, inefiicient or faulty operation by reason ofinterference from the flame burned at the oven or broiler burner.

In the accomplishment of the foregoing object and improved result, otherspecific objects are obtained and specific novel features ofconstruction and arrangement are utilized the exact nalowing descriptionwhen read in the light of the accompanying drawings.

The present invention has also as an object the provision of a device ofthe character described which is comparatively cheap of manufacture andcheap and simple of application to a range and a device which because ofits simplicity and construction is not only highly eflicient inoperation but will operate over long periods of time with the minimum oflikelihood of any break-down which would cause failure of operation orthe necessity of replacement of parts. y

In the drawings the invention is illustrated as being embodied in a gascooking range, and

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a gas cooking rangehaving applied thereto the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view which more clearly illustrates therespective positioning of the main light burners.

Describing the invention first in broad terms, A designates anyconventional type of gas cooking range having therein a broiler chamberwhich lies behind .a suitable door I. In accordance with customary andaccepted practice there is in the upper end of the broiler chamber abroiler burner B. Remotely positioned in respect to the broiler burnerthere is a safety fuel control valve designated as an entirety at C. Anauxiliary burner is designated as an entirety at D. This burner D isseparated from the main broiler burner B but a constant burning pilotlight E is positioned between the broiler burner B and the auxiliaryburner D as will be described hereinafter. The thermal member F isclosely associated with the auxiliary burner D.

Describing the invention in detail but first having reference to thebroiler burner B, it will be seen that this burner is of rectangularform and has its burner orifices 2 disposed in a manner to direct theflames 3 of the burner downwardly and outwardly. One leg 4 of the burneris pro vided .with an extension 5 to which is connected the burnerintake manifold pipe 6 which extends downwardly at right angles to theburner and is of considerable length so that its lower end I is disposeda considerable distance below the burner. The intake and lower end 1 ofthe pipe is provided with the usual primary air inlet 8 under thecontrol of an adjustable shutter 9. A second leg I!) of the burner isprovided with an outwardly extending supplemental stub leg I l which isprovided with suitable burner orifices so as to support the flames 12(see Fig. 2) when gas is delivered to th broiler burner. It will beobserved that the stub leg I I removes the flames of the main burner Bproper from the flames of the auxiliary burner D.

The safety fuel control valve C lies in approximately the samehorizontal plane with the lower end 1 of the broiler burner intakemanifold pipe 6 and by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings it will beseen that it comprises a housing having therein an inlet chamber I3which communicates with the supplemental outlet chamber l4 through avalve seat IS. The communicating passageway through the valve seat isunder the control of a valve I6 which is normally urged towards a closedposition by the bias of a coil spring l1. The inlet chamber of thehousing is provided with an internally threaded inlet opening to whichis attached a gas supply pipe I9 which has connection with the main gassupply manifold pipe 2| of the range through a manual operable valve 22.The supplemental and outlet chamber l4 of the housing is provided withan internally threaded outlet opening 23 to which is connected a shortlength of conduit 24 carrying at its end (see Fig. 2 of the drawings).an outlet nozzle 25 which is disposed within the bell shaped lower inletend 1 of the broiler burner intake manifold pipe 6-.

One wall of the safety control valve housing is provided with a hollowinternally threaded boss 26 which threadedly receives one end of a tube21. This tube is of considerable length and has its upper threaded end28 terminating at a point about even -with or slightly below the top ofthe broiler burner B.

The tube 21 has sufficient strength and rigidity to serve as a supportfor the auxiliary burner D. The auxiliary burner D comprises a carrierdesignated as an entirety at 29 which is of a U shape in side elevationconfiguration to provide two oppositely positioned legs 30 and 3|. Theupper threaded end 28 of the tube 21 is threadedly received within theinternally threaded opening 32 of the carrier leg 3 I. The auxiliaryburner proper comprises a pair of oppositely disposed and spaced burnerjets 33 and 34 which are threadedly mounted in the base or bottom 35 ofthe carrier and have communication with the gas conduit 36 which is alsopositioned in the carrier base and extends downwardly. therefrom into anexternally threaded pipe-like extension '31 with which one end 38 of afuel pipe 39 has communication. The opposite end of the fuel pipe 39(see Fig- 1 of the drawings) has connection as at 40 with the 'mainbroiler burner fuel conduit 20 at a point well in front of the safetycontrol valve C. The conduit 39 is provided with a manually controlledvalve 41 which can readily be of the needle valve type and by which thesize of the flames 42 burned at the auxiliary burner jets 33 and 34 maybe controlled. It will be understood that whenever the manual valve 22is moved to an open position for the purpose of obtaining fuel deliveryto the main' broiler burner B fuel will also be delivered through theconduit 39 to the auxiliary burner jets 33 and 34. Fuel will of acertainty reach the auxiliary burner but as to whether or not the fuelwill reach the main broiler burner B will depend upon whether the safetyfuel control valve I6 is in an open or a closed position.

Primary air is supplied to the fuel for the auxiliary burner through anair inlet opening 43 in the conduit extension 31. The amount of airadmitted through this opening can be adjusted by setting of the nut 44which is locked in its set position by a lock nut 45.

The thermal element F can be either a rod or a tube and is composed of amaterial having a high coeflicient of thermal expansion. One end of thethermal member is supported in a suitable socket-46 provided in thecarrier leg 30 while its other end 41 passes loosely through an opening48 in the opposite leg 3| of the carrier and has abutment within thechamber 32 of this leg with the end of a rod 50 within theaforementioned tube 21. The rod 50 has the same coefiicient of heatexpansion as its carrier tube 21. The thermal rod or tube F is disposedin separated parallel relationship to the bottom 35 of the carrier 23and passes between the auxiliary burner jets 33 and 34 so that theflames 42 of these jets play upwardly along and around the thermalelement.

The rod 50 is of a length substantially less than the length of the tube21 and its lower end is provided with a tongue 5| which interlocks withthe upper forked end 52 of a second thermal element 53. This secondthermal element might be well called a compensator and is includedwithin the apparatus to assure that the safety control valve does notapproach too near its seat, and thereby reduce the fuel flow to the mainbroiler burner, when the broiler burner chamber reaches the hightemperature which commonly prevails in broiling operations. The carrier29 is composed of a negative material, that is to say, of a materialhaving a low coeflicient of thermalexpansion but by reason of the factthat the broiler chamber does reach an extremely high temperature thiscarrier will expand to some extent which would, in the absence of thecompensator or booster thermal element 53, permit the safety controlvalve to approach its seat and thus reduce the flame of the broilerburner which is of course not desirable. The compensator or boosterthermal element 53 has a high coefficient of thermal expansion and whenthe temperature within the broiler chamber approaches or arrives at apoint so as to cause expansion of the main thermal element carrier 25this high temperature will cause the compensator or booster thermalelement to have expanded. The coeflicient of thermal expansion of thebooster thermal element 53 is greater than the coefficient of thermalexpansion of the tube 21 and rod 50 but can be of a lower coefficient ofthermal expansion than that inherent in the main thermal element F.

The booster thermal element 53 extends to the lower end of the tube 21and has operative engagement with a pin 54 which pin extends into thechamber 14 of the safety control valve housing for operative engagementwith a lever 55 at a point intermediate its ends but closely adjacentthe end 56 of said lever. This lever is fulcrummed on a pin 51 carriedby a screw 58 which is adjustable within a boss 59 of the housing.Externally of the housing the screw is provided with a curf 60 toprovide convenient adjusting means and as an assistance in determiningthe setting of the fulcrum the screw carries a pointer 51 movable over asuitable dial 62.

Expansion of the thermal elements will rock the lever 55 on its fulcrumand move its forked end 63 in a direction towards the valve i6. A guidepin 64 extends through the forked end of the lever. A sleeve 65 isreciprocable on said guide pin and interposed between the lever and thevalve to constitute an operating connection between the valve and leverso that when the lever is actuated by the thermal elements it will forcethe valve off of its seat against the pressure of the coil spring 11.

The pilot burner or light E is suitably secured to the auxiliary burnerleg 3| such as by a clamp 86 and the flame 61 burned by the pilot issufficiently close to one of the auxiliary burner jets as to ignite thatjet when fuel is delivered to the auxiliary burner. The other auxiliaryburner jet will be ignited from the first auxiliary burner jet. Thepilot light flame is also positioned sufficiently close to the burnerorifices in the supplemental or stub leg ll of the main broiler .burneras to cause ignition of the gas issuing therefrom and ignition of thisgas in the supplemental or ignition leg ll of the broiler burner willcause the entire burner to be ignited.

Most important of all it is to be noted that the pilot burner flame 61is positioned or interposed between the main broiler burner B proper andthe auxiliary burner flames 33 and 34 and that the flame burned by thepilot burner proper prevents the flames burned by the broiler burnerreaching or interfering in any way with the auxiliary burner flames. Theextremity of the stub leg may be near the pilot flame as shown in Fig.4, or the leg may be somewhat shortened as shown in Fig. 2 so long asthe pilot flame prevents the main burner flame from interfering with theauxiliary flame. It is of course understood that the principal functionof the auxiliary flame is to cause the expansion of the member F and theoperation, of the safety valve l6 to cause said valve I6 to permit theproper amount of fuel to flow to the main burner to maintain the desiredheat produced by the main burner B.

The pilot burner E is constantly burning. It receives its gas from themain range gas manifold 2| independent of any of the heretoforedescribed apparatus through a pipe 68 which has independent connectionat 69 with the main fuel conduit 2|. A valve or the like provides ameans for adjusting the size of the pilot light flame. Primary air forthe pilot light burner is supplied through an air inlet opening I I Inoperation, the pilot light is constantly burning and assuming it isdesired to broil something in the broiling oven the manual valve 22 isopened. The opening of this valve delivers gas to the intake chamber l3of the safety control valve and simultaneously delivers gas to theauxiliary burner. The auxiliary burner is immediately ignited by theconstant burning pilot light but the gas admitted to the intake chamberl3 can not reach the main broiler burner because at this time the safetycontrol valve I6 is held closed by the coil spring l'l. There will be ashort lapse of time between the opening of the manual valve 22 and thelighting of the broiler burner. This time lapse will be dependent uponthe size of the flame burned at the auxiliary burner.

Within a comparatively shorttime the auxiliary burner has heated thethermal element F to a point where it has expanded to cause movement ofthe lever 55 and the opening of the valve I6 against the tension of itsbias. Immediately this valve is opened gas flows to the broiler burnerand is ignited by the constant burning pilot light.

No fuel can reach the main burner unless the pilot light burner isignited. If the pilot burner is not ignited the auxiliary burner willnot be ignited and the safety fuel control valve \will be closed to thepassage of any fuel to the'main burner.

By reason of the constant pilot playing no part in the heating of thethermal element a very small flame can be maintained with a resultantsmall fuel consumption and cheap operation.

The arrangement makes it possible to place the auxiliary burner closelyadjacent the main burn er and use a single pilot light as an ignitionmeans for both of said burners.

The device can be used with burners other than broiler burners and theinvention is to be limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a gas fired cooking range or the like, a closed cooking chamberhaving therein a main the auxiliary burner, said main burner beingdislight burner disposed wholly within said cooking chamber, a fuelsupply line to said m'ainburner having a manually operable valve thereinand and said thermal member as to prevent the I flames burned at all butone of the ports of said main burner from themselves heating saidthermal element or intermingling with the flames of the auxiliaryburner, said main burner however having a burner lighter port positionedsuflicient- 1y close to said auxiliary burner and said thermal elementas to cause likelihood of the flame burned at said lighter port tointerfere with the operation of the auxiliary burner and to affect saidthermal element, the lighter port of said main burner being positionedto be ignited by said pilot light, and the position of the pilot lightbeing such that the flame of said pilot light extends and forms acurtain between the flame burned at said main burner lighter port andsaid thermal element and the flames burned by said auxiliary 'burner.

2. In a gas fired cooking range or the like, a closed cooking chamberhaving therein a main burner, an auxiliary burner and a constant pilotlight burner disposed wholly within said cooking chamber, a fuel supplyline to said main burner having a manually operable valve therein and anormally closed Valve operable to an open position by a thermalresponsive member, a fuel supply line to said auxiliary burner andthrough which fuel passes to said auxiliary burner upon the opening ofsaid manually operable valve, a fuel line for constantly supplying fuelto said pilot burner, a thermal element positioned in said cookingchamber and adapted to open said normally closed valve and beingdisposed to be heated by said auxiliary burner, said auxiliary burnerhavinga burner port at which a flame burns directed to and on saidthermal element and a second port at which a flame burns in a directiontowards the pilot light burner and the main burner, said pilot burnerbeing disposed to ignite posed sufficiently'remote to the auxiliaryburner and said thermal member as to prevent the flames burned at allbut one of the ports of said main burner from themselves heating said'thermal element or intermingling with the flames of the auxiliaryburner, said main burner however having a burner lighter port positionedsufliciently close to said auxiliary burner and said thermal element asto cause likelihood of the flame burned at said lighter port tointerfere with the operation of the auxiliary burner and to affect saidthermal element, the lighter port of saidv main burner being positionedto be ignited by said pilot light, and the position of the pilot lightbeing such that the flame of said pilot light extends and forms acurtain between the flame burned at said main burner lighter port andsaid thermal burner, an auxiliary burner and a consta'r'i tpilot elementand the flames burned by said auxiliary burner.

3. In a gas fired cooking range or the like, a closed broiling ovenhaving therein a main burner disposed in substantially a horizontalplane and adapted to burn a plurality of flames directed downwardly andoutwardly, one of the burner ports of said main burner being a lighterport, an auxiliary burner located adjacent the lighter port of said mainburner and wholly within said oven, a fuel'supply line to said mainburner having therein a manually operable valve and a normally closedvalve operable to an open position by a thermal responsive member, afuel line to said auxiliary burner and through which fuel passes to saidauxiliary burner upon the opening of said manually operable valve, aconstant burning pilot light disposed between the lighter port of themain burner and said auxiliary burner, a thermal responsive memberpositioned within the oven and adapted to operate said normally closedvalve and being disposed to be heated by a flame burned by saidauxiliary burner, and the position of the pilot light being such thatthe flame burned by said pilot light burner extends and forms a curtainbetween the flame burned at the lighter port of said main burner and theflames burned by said auxiliary burner and serves as a means to igniteboth of said main and auxiliary burners, whereby the flame of the mainburner is prevented from intermingling with or detrimentally affectingthe thermal responsive element heating flame burned by the auxiliaryburner.

4. In a gas fired cooking range or'the like, a closed cooking ovenhaving therein a main burner, a gas supply line to said burner havingtherein a manually operable valve and a normally closed valve operableto an open position by a thermally responsive member, said main burnerhaving a burner port operating as a lighter port I for the remainingports of said burner, a thermally responsive member disposed adjacentthe said lighter port of the main burner and having operable connectionwith said normally closed valve and adapted when heated to open thesame, an auxiliary burner receiving its fuel from the fuel supply lineto the main burner but subject to the control only of said manuallyoperable valve, said auxiliary burner having a pair of burner portsdisposed at opposite sides of said thermal member whereby burning flamesare directed along and about said member, one of said burner ports beingpositioned between said thermal member and the lighter port of said mainburner, aconstant burning pilot light positioned between said last namedauxiliary burner burner port and the lighter port of said main burner, athird burner port of said auxiliary burner being adapted to burn a flamedirected toward said constant pilot light burner, said constant pilotlight burner acting to ignite the fuel jissuing from the main burnerlight port and from the third port of said auxiliary burner, and theremaining two ports of said auxiliary burner being adapted to be ignitedfrom the flame burned at said third auxiliary burner port, whereby anautomatic safety ignition means of the type described is provided.

5. In a gas fired cooking range or the like, a closed cooking chamberhaving therein a main burner, an auxiliary burner and a constant pilotlight burner disposed wholly within said cooking chamber, a fuel supplyline to said main burner having a manually operable valve therein and anormally closed valve operable to an open position by a thermalresponsive member, a fuel supply line to said auxiliary burner andthrough which fuel passes to said auxiliary burner upon 5 the opening ofsaid manually operable valve, a fuel line for constantly supplying fuelto said pilot burner, said auxiliary burner comprising a housing havingapair of burner ports at opposite sides thereof, a thermal elementmounted on said auxiliary burner housing and being disposed between saidauxiliary burner ports, said auxiliary burner acting to heat saidthermal element and said element upon being heated adapted to open saidnormally closed valve, said pilot burner being disposed to ignite theauxiliary burner, said main burner being disposed sufliciently remote tothe auxiliary burner and said thermal member as to prevent the flamesburned by said main burner from themselves heating said thermal elementor intermingling with the flames of the auxiliary burner, said mainburner however having a burner lighter port positioned sufficientlyclose to said auxiliary burner and said thermal element as to causelikelihood of the flame burned at said lighter port to interfere withthe operation of the auxiliary burner and to affect said thermalelement, the lighter port of said main burner being positioned to beignited by said pilot light, and ,the position of the pilot light beingsuch that the flame of said pilot light extends and forms a curtainbetween the flame burned at said main lighter port and said thermalelement and the flames burned by said auxiliary burner.

6. In a device of the character described, a closed cooking chamber, amain burner therein, a small constant burning pilot light in saidchamber, a thermal member, an auxiliary burner for initially heatingsaid thermal member, a fuel 40 control valve operable by said thermalmember -for controlling the flow of fuel to said main burner, said pilotlight being positioned to ignite said main and auxiliary burners, andsaid thermal member being in said chamber and responsive to the heatgenerated therein by said main burner to cause a further opening of saidburner fuel control valve as the heat in said chamber increases due tothe operation of said main burner.

7. In a device of the character described, a closed broiling chamber, ahorizontally disposed gas burner'in the upper end of said chamber forheating the chamber and being provided below its top with burnerorifices disposed to burn downwardly and outwardly projecting flames, afuel supply line for said burner, a normally closed valve in said fuelline positioned in the lower end of said chamber, said valve acting onlyto control the flow of fuel to said chamber 'heating burner, anelongated support extending from vsaid valve and carrying a thermalelement posi- .tioned in the upper end of said chamber adjacent saidmain burner, said thermal element adapted to operate said fuel valve, anauxiliary burner positioned in said broiling chamber closely adjacentsaid thermal element and adapted to heat the same, and a constantburning pilot light positioned intermediate the main burner and saidauxiliary burner and adapted to light both of said burners when gas issupplied to the same.

8. A construction such as defined in claim 7 wherein, the thermalelement is in the form of an elongated rod member disposed in a verticalburner ports disposed to burn flames at opposite sides of said thermalelement and upwardly along and about the same.

9. A construction such as defined in claim 6 wherein, said auxiliaryburner is localized to the immediate vicinity of said thermal elementand is entirely within said closed cooking chamber and is of small gasconsumption by reason of having a minimum number of burner orifices.

10. In a gas fired cooking range or the like, a closed cooking ovenhaving therein a main burner, a gas supply line to said burner havingtherein a manually operable valve and a normally closed valve operableto an open position by a thermally responsive member, said main burnerhaving a burner port operating as a lighter port for the remaining portsof said burner, a thermally re'sponsivemember disposed adjacent the saidlighter port of the main mumer and having operable connection with saidnormally closed valve and adapted when heated to open the same,

an auxiliary burner receiving its fuel from the fuel supply line to themain burner but subject to the coritrol only of said manually operablevalve, said auxiliary burner having a pair of ports the first of whichburns a flame directed along and about said thermal member, a constantburning pilot light positioned between said auxiliary first burner portand the lighter port of said main burner, said auxiliary burner secondburner port being positioned between the first named auxiliary burnerport and said constant burning pilot light, said constant pilot lightburner acting when said manually operable and thermally operable valvesare open to ignite the fuel issuing from the main burner lighter portand from the second port of said auxiliary burner, and fuel issuing fromthe first named auxiliary lighter port being ignited from the flameburned at the second port of said auxiliary burner.

11. In a device of the character described, a closed chamber having ahorizontally disposed heating burner therein, a fuel supply line to saidburner having therein a normally closed valve, a thermal responsivemember adapted upon being heated to open said valve, said thermalelement comprising an elongated rodhaving a high coefficient'of heatexpansion and an elongated carrier therefor having a lower coefficientof heat expansion, said rod and carrier being positioned at one side andadjacent said burner and disposed in a vertical plane, an auxiliaryburner lovided and is positioned to automatically ignite fuel deliveredto either or both the heating burn er and auxiliary burner.

13. In a device of the character described, a'

chamber having a horizontally disposed heating burner therein, a fuelsupply line to said burner having therein a normally closed valve, athermal responsive member adapted upon being heated to open said valve,said thermal element comprising an elongated rod, having a high 00-efficient of heat expansion and an elongated carrier therefor having alower coeflicient of heat expansion, said rod and carrier beingpositioned at one side and adjacent said burner and disposed in avertical plane, an auxiliary burner and 'a fuel supply line therefor,said auxiliary burner provided with a pair of burner ports, and saidburner ports-being positioned at opposite sides of said thermoresponsive member andbeing disposed to direct their flames inwardlytoward and upwardly along and around said member.

14. A construction such as defined in claim 11 wherein, a constantburning pilot light is provided and is positioned to automaticallyignite fuel delivered to either or both the heating burner and auxiliaryburner.

15. In a device of the character described, a cooking chamber, a mainburner horizontally disposed therein and provided below its top withburner orifices disposed to burn downwardly and outwardly projectingflames, a normally closed fuel control valve disposed in said chamberand adapted to control the flow of fuel to said main burner, a thermalmember in said chamber and cated substantially along side of said mainburnlocated closely adjacent but in spaced relationship to said mainburner, said thermal member being operatively connected with saidnormally closed fuel control valve and upon being heated operating toopen said valve, a constant burning pilot light in said chamberpositioned in the space between said main burner and said thermal memberand provided with a burner. orifice, an auxiliary burner located whollywithin said chamber for heating said thermal member and provided with aburner orifice positioned to burn a flame at a point intermediate thethermal member and said constant burning pilot light flame, thedisposition of the burner orifices of said main burner, pilot lightburner and auxiliary burner being such that the flames burned at saidorifices are all located substantially in the same horizontal plane, andthe burner orifice of the pilot light burner being further so positionedthat the flame of said pilot light forms a cur tain between the flame ofthe auxiliary burner and the nearest flame of the main burner, for thepurpose described.

. ISAAC V. BRUMBAUGH. LESTER S. KAUFFMAN. HAROLD C. REINHART.

